I 


iMiVERSlTY  OF 

ILLINOIS  LIBRARY 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 

AGRICULTURE 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2012  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign 


http://archive.org/details/notesonvegetable47crai 


BULLETIN  47 


NAPCH   1900  . 
UNIVERSITY  OF  ILIINOB 
AGRICULTURE  filBRABI 


IOWA  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 
EXPERIMENT  STATION 


^« 


SWEET    POTATO    PATCH— HORTICULTURAL    EXPERIMENT    GROUNDS 


Department  of  Horticulture  and  Torestry 


AMES,  IOWA 


NOTES    ON     VEGETABLES. 


CUCUMBERS 

EGG  PLANTS 


LiriR  BE7XNS  TOMATOES 

SWEET  POTATOES  PEPPERS 


PRESS   OF 

CARTER  &  HtJSSEY 

DBS  MOINES,  IOWA. 


Board  of  Trustees. 


Members  by  virtue  of  office — 

His  Excellency,  L  M.  Shaw,  Governor  of  the  State. 
Hon.  K.  C.  Barrett,  Supt.  of  Public  Instruction. 

Term  Expires. 
First  District — Hon.  S.  H.  Watkins,  Liberty ville,         J  904 
Second  District — Hon.  C.  S.  Barclay,  West  Liberty     1904 
Third  District— Hon.  J.  S.  Jones,  Manchester  1902 

Fourth  District — Hon.  C.  L.  Gabrilson,  New  Hamp- 
ton. ......         1904 

Fifth  District— Hon.  W.  R.  Moninger,  Galvin  1906 

Sixth  District— Hon.  W.  O.  McElroy,  Newton  1902 

Seventh  District— Hon.  W.  K.  Boardman,  Nevada        1906 
Eighth  District— Hon.  W.  B.  Penick,  Tingley  1£04 

Ninth  District — Hon.  L.  B.  Robinson,  Avoca  1902 

Tenth  District — Hon.  J.  B.  Hungerford,  Carroll  1906 

Eleventh  District— Hon.  W.  J.  Dixon,  Sac  City  1906 


Officers  of  the  Board. 

Hon.  W.  O.  McElroy,  Newton,  Chairman. 
Prof.  E.  W.  Stanton,  Ames,  Secretary. 
Herman  Knapp,  Ames,  Treasurer. 


STATION  STAFF. 

W.  M.  Beardshear,  A.  M.,  LL.  D.,  President. 
*  James  Wilson,  Dean  of  the  Division  of  Agriculture. 
C.  F.  Cqrtiss,  B.  Sc.,  M.  S.  A.,  Director  and  Agriculutrist. 
J.  D.  Weems,  Ph.,  D.,  Chemist. 
L.  H.  Pammel,  B.  Agr.,  M.  Sc,  Ph.  D.,  Botanist. 
H.  E.  Summers,  B  S.  Entomologist. 
John  Craig,  B.  Agr.,  M.  S.  Horticulturist. 
John  A.  Craeg,  B.  S.  A.,  Animal  Husbandry. 
John  Repp,  V.  M.  D.,  Veterinarian. 
G.  L.  McKay,  Dairying. 

James  Atkinson,  B.  S.  A.,  Assistant  in  Agriculture. 
Joseph  J.  Edgerton,  B.  Agr.,  Asst.  in  Agr.  Physics. 
C.  H.  Eckles,  B.  Agr.,  M.  Sc,  Assistant  in  Dairying  and 
Dairy  Bacteriology. 

^  T-,'  „  tj  J,      '[■  Assistant  Botanists. 

E.  R.  Hodson,  B.  Sc,    ) 

John  J.  Vernon,  B.  S.  A.,  Assistant  Horticulturist. 

Clarence  J.  Griffith,  B.  S.  A.,  Asst.  in  Dairying. 

Geo.  Rommel,  B.  S.  A  ,  Assistant  in  Dairy  Husbandry. 

H.  N.  Grettenberg,  B.  S.  A.,      )         . 

T  n   d  t>  ci  t  Assistant  Chemists. 

J.  C.  Brown,  B.  So.,  ) 

Charlotte  M.  King,  Artist. 


*Granted  an  indefinite  leave  of  absence. 


Notes  cfn  Vegetables 

John  Craig. 


GENERAL    REMARKS. 

It  is  probably  true  that  the  culture  of  vegetables  is  neglected 
to  a  greater  extent  than  any  other  legitimate  farm  crop.  This 
is  due  to  a  lack  of  appreciation  of  their  good  qualities,  lack  of 
knowledge  of  varieties,  and  methods  of  culture;  and  possibly  to 
lack  of  opportunity  by  the  farmer.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to 
say  that  a  sincere  desire,  backed  by  energy,  will  surmount  many 
of  these  difficulties. 

As  a  rule  the  area  chosen  by  the  farmer  for  the  kitchen  gar- 
den, is  too  circumscribed.  This  greatly  increases  the  labor  of 
caring  for  it,  owing  to  the  impracticability  of  using  horse  power. 
Make  the  garden  of  good  size.  More  satisfaction  will  be  de- 
rived from  a  garden  of  generous  size,  attached  to  a  corn  field, 
than  the  usual  small  square,  too  restricted  for  horse  power,  and 
dependent  for  cultivation  on  the  well  meant,  though  often  spo- 
radic efforts  of  the  farm  boy  or  housewife. 

When  horse  power  cannot  be  used,  much  satisfaction  can  be 
gained  by  employing  some  form  of  the  many  Avheel  hoes,  now 
common  in  the  market.  These  are  exceedingly  useful  imple- 
ments, and  are  great  labor  savers. 

After  selecting  a  permanent  garden  site,  it  is  desirable  to 
surround  it  with  a  wind  break  of  trees.  When  this  is  done,  a 
strip  of  grass  eight  or  ten  feet  wide  should  be  left  between  trees 
and  vegetables,  as  vegetables  as  well  as  other  crops  will  not  suc- 
ceed close  to  trees.  The  garden  soil  should  be  plowed  deeply  in 
the  fall.  It  should  be  manured  liberally  every  year,  but  rotten 
manure  should  be  used  only.  Green  manure  charged  with  weed 
seeds  often  increases  the  labor  of  weeding  very  materially.  The 
quality  of  vegetables  grown  for  their  roots,  or  as  plant  salads, 
depends  on  the  rapidity  of  their  growth,  therefore  an  abundance 
of  available  fertilizer  is  essential. 

In  planting  the  garden,  perennial  plants,  like  rhubarb  and 
asparagus  should  be  placed  at  one  side  by  themselves  ;   other 


309 

vegetables  should  be  so  grouped  as  to  bring  along  side  each 
other,  those  requiring  the  same  amount  of  space  between  the 
rows.  For  instance,  onions,  turnips,  lettuce,  radishes,  carrots 
and  parsnips,  may  be  planted  about  eighteen  inches  apart,  while 
corn  and  tomatoes  should  have  three  to  four  feet  between  rows, 
and  squash,  melons  and  cucumbers  eight  to  ten  feet. 

Another  advantage  of  setting  an  area  apart  for  the  garden 
somewhat  larger  than  the  usual  requirements,  lies  in  the  fact 
that  a  clover  crop  may  be  included  in  the  rotation.  This  will  be 
of  marked  benefit  in  regenerating  and  keeping  up  the  fertility  of 
the  soil. 

Insect  enemies  must  be  watched.  For  treatment,  the  reader 
is  referred  to  the  spraying  calendar  issued  by  the  Iowa  Agricul- 
tural Experiment  Station. 

In  purchasing  seeds  it  is  usually  wise  to  select  what  may  be 
called  4  'standard  varieties  of  home-grown  seeds. "  There  is  much 
pleasure  and  interest  connected  with  the  testing  of  new  varieties, 
and  a  few  should  be  tried  each  year,  but  this  work  mainly 
belongs  to  the  sphere  of  the  Experiment  Station. 

The  information  set  forth  in  the  following  pages  was  gained 
by  careful  trials  made  last  season  in  the  Experiment  Station 
grounds.  It  will  be  the  policy  of  the  Horticultural  Department 
to  study  a  few  types  of  vegetables  each  season  from  the  cultural 
as  well  as  the  variety  standpoint. 


I. 

CUCUMBERS. 


The  following  are  the  details  of  a  variety  test  of  Cucumbers. 
The  seed  was  planted  in  drills  ten  feet  apart,  in  rather  light 
sandy  loam,  on  May  21th.  Five  hills  of  each  variety  were 
planted  and  the  plants  thinned  to  three  vines  to  the  hill.  The 
table  gives  data  relative  to  vigor  and  yield  of  vines,  the  latter 
being  based  on  a  scale  of  one-tenth  points,  the  latter  figure 
expressing  maximum  vigor.  The  figures  representing  the  yields 
at  different  periods  of  the  picking  season,  are  important,  as  they 
indicate  the  approximate  season  of  the  variety.  For  instance, 
a  variety  which  gave  the  largest  picking  between  July  31st,  the 
date  of  the  first  picking,  and  August  17th  mid-season,  should 
be  classed  with  early  varieties,  and  those  giving  the  larger  yield 
after  that  period,  should  properly  be  rated  with  late  varieties. 
The  figures  therefore  are  worth  studying. 


t^COt^^OOOCClOlOTO-^COr-iOCOOCDrH^'MlOOO 
«OOXI>i0',*'^CD!>JH05CCC0-^Tj<OCDt-000i'* 
i—t  r- 1  (Mr- 1  —  i— I  t— I         r-ii— I         i— (  i— I  (73  t— It— i 


r- 1  t— 
<M  -m 


ri  s 


iO        CN        (Nc3 


05(MlO(Nin5D5D«OOOCOOOt-(NO(NiCC001«(M05K) 
•^  r- ID-OSNr- 1  lO  -^  <M         ©5D00iX)h::i0O05I>^H 


OrH  Tfl  lOi-H  Oi  03 


t-Hi<flWH 


iO  lO  lO  iO  lO  iO  L1  O      *0        lOiOiO 
l>(N  [- t- l>  CQ  M  b-      CO    iO»OI>(N^ 


C0C£)l>'-'C0M>OOOlX)»0:0  0i(Mt^'^iOCD»CL0'*rH    OS  C~ 
t-h  CO  CO  OJ  t-H    CO  i-h    i-H      CO    HHCOrtW--    i-l 


0 

CO  M 


Qioososoo^xooco-^oo^ooioiooaoooLCio      as  oo 


p^1  p 
be  >-»  bi 

p"3  p 


-—  00  no  ■+J  oo 

grnS    S^CO 
b£ 

<!  H-S  l-S  <1  l-s  h-5 


-^-»J-<+l00CX>-^CO0O-'*-^>-+-5OC 


£  :  :  *  ; 

2  CO  c—  2  ir— 

cd  3 
be 


CD    P 


p  - 

p 

o 


.-si 

J3   P 


-^  o 


GO      i 

^£ 

p  S 


Oh 

go. 

.2  v -* 

J3  So, 

9a 

b£P   § 

so  fl 

«    oq    P 
Sh    O    O 


r1  & 


ogfg 


P     i  o, 

*a  el172 
c°  p  <v  bio 
<u.3."t^  P 
.^^~p^ 


cS 


^2 
5-2 


=~^   P   P 


i-i   P 

«  ffl  ce 
CD  g  £_£ 

p.         ^ 
2  os  °  ° 


p  p  p 


<J)    CD 

§5 


O^H- 


'GO      i 

-I 

i  o  Cm 
!  tio 

I    P    CdD 


CD    t>^         —-     ~ 

^    CD    CD 


311 


DESIRABLE    VARIETIES. 

Early,—  Boston  Pickling,  Evergreen  and  Green  Cluster. 

Mid-Season.—  Cool  and  Crisp,  Tailby.Hybrid,  White  Spine, 
Commercial  Pickle. 

Late.— Long  Green,  Short  Green,[Giant  Pera. 

General  Notes.— Cucumbers    usually  succeed  admirably  in 

the  fore  part  of  the  season,  in  this 
part  of  the  state,  but  owing  occa- 
sionally to  drought  and  frequently 
to  the  attacks  of  aphis,  they  fail  in 
mid-summer.  To  lessen  the  injur- 
ious effects  of  drought  and  save  soil 
moisture  the  ground  should  be  cul- 
tivated as  long  as  possible.  It  will 
pay  to  run  the  cultivator  the  same 
way  during  the  last  two  or  three 
cultivations  so  that  it  may  run  close- 
ly to  the  vines  without  undue  injury 
or  disturbance.  It  will  also  pay 
during  dry  weather  to  go  over  the 
rows  with  a  rake  stirring  the  sur- 
face of  the  soil  near  the  hill  out  of 
the  reach  of  the  cultivator.  This 
will  prevent  the  ground  from  crack- 
ing and  will  do  much  towards  sav- 
ing soil  moisture. 

The  most  injurious  insects  of  the  cucumber  are  the  striped 
squash  bug  which  attacks  the  young  plant  soon  after  it  appears 
above  ground  and  plant  lice  which  infect  the  undersides  of  the 
leaves,  causing  curling  and  wilting  about  mid-summer  or  later. 
The  beetle  was  controlled  by  using  Bordeaux  Mixture,  in  which 
twice  the  amount  of  lime  called  for  by  the  formula  was  used 
and  Paris  Green  at  the  rate  of  1  lb.  to  100  gallons  of  Bordeaux. 
With  this  mixture  the  plants  were  kept  thoroughly  coated  for 
two  or  three  weeks  after  developing  their  true  leaves.  Plant 
lice  (Aphis)  were  more  difficult  of  treatment.  We  were  suc- 
cessful however  in  preventing  serious  injury  by  the  careful  use 
of  tobacco  water  to  which  was  added  1  lb.  of  whale  oil  to  each 
50  gallons  of  infusion.  The  tobacco  water  was  made  by  soak- 
ing tobacco  stems,  (cigar  manufacturer's  waste,)  in  water  at  the 
rate  of  five  gallons  of  water  to  each  pound  of  tobacco.     If  home 


FIG.  1 

WHITE  SPINE. 

A  standard  mid-season  variety 

Reduced  two-thirds, 


312 


grown  tobacco  leaf  is  available  it  is  preferable  to  the  waste 
article.  In  applying  this  the 
operator  should  remember  that 
it  only  kills  by  contact  and  there 
i s  little  benefit  t o  be  expected 
from  spraying  it  only  upon  the 
upper  surface  of  the  leaves.  In 
order  to  accomplish  the  result 
aimed  at  we  found  it  necessary  to 
bend  and  attach  to  the  hose  a 
piece  of  brass  tubing  about 
four  feet  in  length  to  the 
lower  end  of  which  the  nozzle 
was  screwed  so  that  the  spray 
might  be  thrown  against  the 
lower  side  of  the  leaves.  With 
this  curved  tube  attached  to  fif- 
teen feet  of  rubber  hose  connect- 
ed with  a  force  pump,  the  work 
was  done  with  comparitive  ease 
and  perfect  satisfaction. T  If  the  area  to  be  sprayed  is  small,  a 
knapsack  pump  will  do  the  work,  but  for  market  gardeners  a  bar- 
rel pump  placed  on  a  stonejboat  or  cart,  will  be  found  more 
satisfactory  in  the  long  run. 


FIG.  2. 

GIANT  PERA. 

Reduced  two-thirds. 


II. 


EGG    PLANTS. 

Believing  that  this  delicious  vegetable  is  well  adapted  to  the 
soil  and  climatic  conditions  of  the  greater  portion  of  Iowa,  a 
preliminary  test  was  made  of  the  leading  varieties  last  season. 
Of  course  it  is  grown  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  but  not  nearly 
as  widely  as  it  should  be.  Previous  to  this  my  experience  with 
egg  plants  had  covered  several  years  in  the  east,  where  although 
the  frostless  season  is  as  long  as  that  in  central  Iowa,  yet  the 
mean  temperature  being  considerably  lower,  they  were  grown 
with  much  less  success  than  at  this  station  because  the  egg 
plant  is  essentially  a  heat  loving  plant. 

The  following  table  gives  information  as  to  time  of  sowing; 
pricking  out;  when  the  fruit  ripened;  the  approximate  yield  and 
the  average  weight  of  the  fruit  of  each  variety.  The  plants 
were  set  out  on  May|26. 


313 
EGG   PLANT 


YAKIETY 


Black  Pekin  . .    . 
Fordhook  Imp.  SpinTss 
Imp.  N.  Y.  Purple. . 

Long  Purple 

Long  White 

New  Improved 

Round  Purple    

Round  White 

Scarlet  Chinese 

Solanum  Striatum 

Vaughan's  Imp.  N.  Y. 
Imp.  W. Pearl 


Thor.. . 
Burpee 
Thor  . . 
Thor  . . 
Thor  . . 
White. 
Thor  . . 
Thor  .  . 
Thor  . . 
Thor  . . 
Vaugh, 
Vaugh, 


SEED 
SOWN 


April  5.. . 
March  24. 
April  5  .  . 
April  5.. . 
April  5.. . 
April  6. .  . 
April  5. .  . 
April  5. .  . 
April  5  . . 
April  5  . . 
March  24 . 
March  24. 


April  29  10 
April  14  10 
April  2910 
April  29  10 
April  29 
May  12. 
April  29 
April  29 
April  29 
April  29 
April  14 
April  14 


August  20 
August  30 
August  15 
August  25 
August  25 
August  28 
August  15 
August  13 
August  10 
August  26 
August  12 
August  25 


9 

CO  X 

d 


16 

46 

38 
26 
57 
35 

47 

90 

37 

16 


%   § 

> 
< 


lb.    oz. 

2 


6 

4 

10 

10 

8 


3    14 

1      8 


Of  the  large  varieties,  among  the  best  last  season,  were 
Fordhook  Improved  and  New  York  Improved;  of  medium  size 
were  White's  Improved  and  Round  Purple. 

Scarlet  Chinese  and  Solanum  Straitum  are  only  interesting 
bonatically. 

CULTURAL    NOTES. 

Soil. — The  best  results  are  attained  on  a  rich  sandy  loam, 
although  egg  plants  may  be  grown  quite  successfully  upon  black 
prairie  soils. 

Growing  the  Plants.— These  should  be  started  in  hot  bed  or 
in  green  house.  It  is  very  important  that  the  plants  should 
not  receive  a  check  before  or  after  setting  out.  If  seed  is 
sown  rather  early  in  the  hot  bed,  and  the  bottom  heat  should 
fail  late  in  spring  during  a  period  of  cool  weather,  the  plants 
might  be  seriously  injured  by  such  a  check,  though  not  frozen. 
From  the  middle  of  March  to  the  first  or  even  middle  of  April 
is  quite  early  enough  to  sow  the  seed  in  this  locality  if  a  good 
warm  house  is  available.  The  plants  ought  to  be  strong  enough 
for  transplanting  "pricking  off"  a  month  after  seed  sowing. 
At  this  time  the  first  true  leaves  should  be  partly  developed. 
When  pricked  off  they  may  be  transferred  to  flats  or  to  two 
inch  pots.  They  should  be  subsequently  transferred  to  larger 
pots  when  the  roots  begin  to  crowd.  Last  season  we  set  plants 
in  the  open  on  May  26th.  On  account  of  the  wet  character  of 
the  season  a  later  date  would  probably  have  given  better  results. 


314 

If  the  land  is  valuable,  as  in  the  case  of  city  gardens,  the 
plants  may  be  set  2x2  feet  apart;  this,  however,  is  crowding 
them  somewhat  and  3x3  feet  is  a  better  average  distance. 
Cultivation  should  be  thorough,  which  means  that  the  ground 
should  be  stirred  every  five  or  six  days  with  the  cultivator. 

Enemies. — The  only  enemy  which  attacks  the  plants  seri- 
ously is  the  potato  bug.  The  egg  plant  is  preferred  by  this 
voracious  feeder  to  its  natural  food,  the  potato  plant.  Close 
attention  must  be  given  to  prevent  injury  when  the  plants  are 
young.  The  best  remedy  I  have  used  is  Paris  Green  at  the 
rate  of  one  ounce  to  ten  gallons  of  Bordeaux  mixture.  It 
sticks  to  the  leaves  for  a  long  time,  when  applied  with  Bordeaux 
mixture;  if  used  alone  it  may  be  applied  as  strong  as  one  pound 
to  100  gallons  of  water,  using  with  it  one  pound  of  lime. 

COOKING    EGG    PLANT. 

Egg  plants  would  be  more  highly  and  generally  appreciated 
if  cooks  were  more  familiar  with  the  manner  of  cooking  it. 
A  common  question  is:  How  is  it  cooked?  The  following 
recipes  supplied  by  the  Domestic  Economy  Department  repre- 
sent various  methods  of  serving  this  delicious  vegetable: 

Stuffed  Egg  Plant. — Cook  egg  plant  fifteen  minutes  in  boil- 
ing salted  water.  Cut  a  slice  from  top  and  with  a  spoon 
remove  pulp,  taking  care  not  to  work  too  closely  to  the  skin. 
Chop  pulp,  and  add  one  cup  of  soft  stale  bread  crumbs.  Melt 
two  tablespoons  of  butter,  and  add  one  tablespoon  of  finely 
chopped  onion,  and  cook  five  minutes;  or  try  out  three  slices  of. 
bacon,  using  bacon  fat  instead  of  butter.  Add  this  to  chopped 
pulp  and  bread,  season  with  salt  and  pepper,  and  if  necessary 
moisten  with  little  stock  or  water;  cook  five  minutes,  cool  slightly, 
and  add  one  beaten  egg.  Refill  egg  plant,  cover  with  buttered 
bread  crumb,  and  bake  twenty-five  minutes  in  a  hot  oven. 

Egg  Plant  Fried  in  Butter. — Cut  the  egg  plant  into  slices 
one-quarter  of  an  inch  thick  after  the  skin  has  been  removed. 
Sprinkle  the  slices  with  salt,  pile  them  one  upon  another  on  the 
back  of  a  dish,  place  on  them  a  plate  holding  a  weight;  let  it 
stand  one  hour  to  express  the  juice.  Then  dredge  with  flour, 
or  dip  in  egg  and  bread  crumbs.  Put  a  pan  over  the  fire  with 
enough  butter  to  cover  the  bottom  to  a  depth  of  half  an  inch 
thick  when  melted;  when  the  butter  is  smoking  hot,  put  in  the 
egg  plant,  fry  it  brown  on  both  sides  and  serve  it  hot. 

Fried  Egg  Plant. — Pare  an  egg  plant,  cut  in  one-fourth 
inch  slices   and   soak   over  night  in  salted  water.     Drain,  let 


315 
stand  in  cold  water  one-half  hour,  drain  again  and  dry  between 
towels.     Sprinkle  with  salt  and  pepper,  dip  in  batter,  or  dip  in. 
flour,  egg,  and  crumbs  and  fry  in  deep  fat. 

Egg  Plant  Fried  in  Batter. — Peel,  slice  and  salt  the  egg 
plant  as  directed  in  the  recipe  for  egg  plant,  fried  in  butter; 
have  ready  the  frying  kettle  half  full  of  hot  fat;  when  ready 
to  fry,  dry  slices  of  egg  plant  between  towels,  dip  in  batter  and 
fry  until  brown  in  the  hot  fat.  Drain  them  on  brown  paper, 
serve  hot. 


III. 

PEPPERS. 


This  group  of  vegetables,  while  not  worthy  of  first  rank  as 
food  plants,  vary  so  much  in  characteristics  that  the  work  of 
treating  them  is  very  interesting.     Their  culture  is  practically 


C     - 


J^1 


( 


Fn.  3. 


that  of  tomatoes.  The  plants  should  be  started  in  the  hot  bed 
and  transplanted  to  the  open  when  all  danger  of  frost  is  over. 
The  soil  should  be  a  warm  sandy  loam.     The  plants  should  be 


316 

set  in  rows  three  feet  apart  and  two  feet  apart  in  the  row.  No 
special  kind  of  culture  is  necessary,  and  fortunately  the  plants 
are  nearly  exempt  from  insect  attack.  There  is  great  variation 
in  form  and  color,  the  larger  varieties  are  much  less  pungent 
than  the  small  fruited  kinds.  The  accompanying  table  gives 
information  regarding  the  time  of  ripening  and  the  characteris- 
tics of  the  fruit.  The  seed  was  obtained  from  Thorburn  of 
New  York.     Ten  plants  of  each  variety  composed  the  test. 

For  home  use  the  best  varieties  are  Red  Chili,  Rubv  King, 
Golden  Dawn,  Long  Cayenne. 

Seed  sown  April  8,  plants  "pricked  off"  April  26  and   set 
out  May  26th. 


VARIETY 

RIPE 

REMARKS 

Elephant  Trunk 

Large  Bell 

Large  Squash 

Long  Cayenne         

Mam.  Golden  Queen. . . 
Monstrous 

August  20 
August  11 
August  14 
August  14 
August  25 
August    9 
August  22 
August  14 
August  26 

Irregular,  cylindrical,  straight  or  curved. 

Large,  irregular,  scarlet. 

Tomato  like,  bright  scarlet. 

Fruit  small,  conic,  upright 

Strong  grower,  large,  conic,  irregular,  yel. 

Same  as  la*-t  but  red  in  color. 

New  Celestial  

Procopp 

Red  Cherry 

Long,  pointed,  scarlet. 
Small  ovh.I.   bright  rpd. 

Red  Chili  

August  26  Small,  o.vlindrina.l.   so.arlet.  ln.t.p. 

Ruby  King 

August  14 
August  21 
August  15 
August   6 
August  15 

Scarlet,  elongated,  irregular. 
Same  as  Long  Cayenne. 
Yellow,  conic,  irregular. 
Large,  irregular,  conic. 
Globular,  small,  scarlet,  late. 

Red  Cluster  

Sweet  Golden  Dawn .  . . 

Sweet  Mountain 

Sweet  Spanish 

IV. 


*LIMA    BEANS. 

While  these  can  by  no  means  be  looked  upon  as  horticultural 
novelties  yet  I  fear  that  in  many  portions  of  the  country  such  a 
ranking  would  be  eminently  proper.  The  Lima  Beans  should 
be  much  more  generally  grown  in  this  latitude.  It  is  true  that 
they  are  more  susceptible  to  cold  than  snap  or  string  beans  but 
it  is  also  true  that  they  are  much  finer  in  flavor,  therefore 
any  additional  effort,  if  such  is  necessary,  put  forth  in  growing 
them  is  well  repaid. 

Lima  beans  are  of  two  classes,  1  climbing,  2  drawf  forms. 


*Consult  Bulls,  87  and  115  Exp.  Sta.  Cornell  University 


317 


Climbing  —  These  represent  older  forms  from  which  the 
dwarf  forms  appeared  as  sports.  There  are  three  types  of 
each,  pole  and  dwarf,  showing  that  the  sport  still  retained 
certain  characteristics  of  the  form  from  which  it  sprang.     These 

types  are,  (a)  Sieva 
or  Carolina,  a  small 
slender  grower;  (b) 
True  Limas,  large, 
flat,  slender  Limas 
with  broad  pods,  and 
(c)  the  Potato  Limas 
with  smaller  and  more 
swollen  seeds  and 
short  plump  pods. 
The  Dwarf  Limas 
are  a  comparatively 
new  and  indeed  very 
valuable  addition  to 
our  list  of  garden 
vegetables,  possessing 
desirable  table  quali- 
ties of  the  Pole  Limas, 
their  dwarf  stature 
very  much  lessens  the 
labor  of  cultivation. 
The  leading  varieties 
of  Limas  were  tested 
last  season.  No  special 
effort  was  made  to  secure  a  complete  collection  yet  the  following 
list  comprises  those  found  in  the  catalogues  of  several  prominent 
seedsmen.  The  subjoined  table  gives  data  relative  to  the  time  of 
sowing,  and  the  yield  of  each  variety.  Fifty  seeds  of  each  kind 
were  sown  on  May  24-th.  The  seed  was  obtained  from  Johnson 
&  Stokes,  Philadelphia;  Burpee,  Philadelphia;  Thorburn,  of 
New  York  and  White,  of  Des  Moines. 


FIG    4. 

LARGE  WHITE  LIMA. 

Reduced  one-third. 


318 


The  yields  are  not  accurately  indicative  of  the  productiveness 
of  the  dwarf  varieties  on  account  of  the  weak  vitality  of  some 
of  the  seeds.     Those  marked  (*)did  not  germinate  satisfactorily. 


VARIETY 


Carolina 

Jersey  Extra  Early 

Horticultural  Lima 

Siebert's 

Dreer  Pole 

Shotwell  Imp.  Thick 

Shallcross  Market  Queen. 
J  ackson  Wonder  Bush  . . . 

Henderson's  Bush 

German  Cluster 

Selected  Large  White .... 

Willow  Leaf 

Thorburn's  Dwarf 

*Ford,s  Mammoth  Podded 

^Burpee's  Bush 

*Salem  Improved  

*New  Wonder  Bush 

^Selected  Large  White . . . 


RIPE 

SHELL 
BEANS 

GREEN 
PODS 

lb. 

oz. 

lb 

oz. 

August  15. .  . 

7 

9 

4 

August  25 .  .  . 

3 

2 

3 

13 

August   8 . .  . 

2 

11 

13 

August  15. . . 

2 

5 

2 

6 

August  20. . . 

2 

1 

5 

6 

Sept.  1 

2 

o 

10 

August  25 . . . 

1 

14 

6 

1 

August  15. .  . 

1 

12 

August  10. . . 

1 

9 

August  25 . . . 

1 

4 

5 

6 

August 20..  . 

1 

4 

3 

6 

August  25 . .  . 

1 

3 

1 

Sept.  8 

1 

10 

Sept.  6 

11 

8 

8 

August  31 . .  . 

8 

2 

5 

Sept.  1 

/ 

3  . 

15 

August  31 .  . . 

6 

1 

3 

August  20 .  . . 

3 

1 

14 

NOTES  ON  VARIETIES. 

The  value  of  the  following  notes  upon  variety  characteristics 
are  much  enhanced  by  the  observations  of  Miss  Gertrude 
Coburn,  Professor  of  Domestic  Science,  who  tested  each  kind 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  ease  with  which  it  cooked  and  its 
quality  when  cooked.  These  tests  showed  that  the  true  Limas 
are  much  higher  flavored*  than  the  Sieva  or  Carolina,  the  small 
seeded  section.  Unfortunately  the  true  Limas  are  smaller 
yielders  and  are  a  little  late  for  this  climate.  It  is,  neverthe- 
less, worth  while  to  spend  some  effort  in  cultivating  these  high 
flavored  varieties. 

Burpee1  s  Bush  Lima. — A  strong  dwarf  grower;  some  ten- 
dency to  run;  leaves  non-glabrous;  pods  three  to  four  inches  long; 
scimitar  shaped;  late,  seems  to  be  a  light  bearer.  Miss  Coburn 
says:  u  Large,  flat,  thin  skin,  good  flavor;  cooked  tender  in 
forty  minutes,  when  dry  sixty  minutes,  with  soaking  over  night 
were  required;  desirable." 

Carolina  (Sieva). — Leaves  smooth,  dark  green;  fair  grower; 
early.  Type  of  Henderson's  Bush.  Pods  small,  narrow;  an 
early  variety.  "Bean  small,  creamy  white;  flat,  tough  and 
skinned  with  little  pulp;  tough  after  ninety  minutes  cooking  ; 
not  desirable." — Miss  Coburn. 


Dreer 


319 

Lima. —  Light  green  ;  non -glabrous  leaves; 
strong  grower;  pods  nearly 
straight.  "  Bean  medium  size, 
swollen  ;  greenish  white  ;  good 
flavor ;  cooked  tender  in  sixty 
minutes;  tough  skinned  but  desira- 
ble in  general." — Miss  Coburn.. 

Extra  Early  Jersey. — Inter- 
mediate type;  light  green;  non- 
glabrous  ;  pods  large,  curved; 
.  fairly  early.  "Bean  large,  rather 
thick,  greenish  and  well  shaped; 
cooked  tender  in  sixty  minutes; 
rather  mealy;  good  flavor;  desira- 
ble."— Miss  Coburn. 

Ford's  Mammoth  Podded.  — 
"Cooked  tender  in  fifty  minutes; 
dry,  soft,  good  flavor;  desirable." 

SMALL  WHITE  LIMA  OR  CAROLINA.       MisS  Cobum. 

German  Cluster  Pole. — Leaves  somewhat  downy;  vigorous 
grower;  fairly  prolific;  late;  pods  large,  three  to  five  inches 
long.  "Bean  of  medium  size  and  thickness;  greenish  white; 
good  flavor  though  watery;  cooked  tender  in  thirty  minutes, 
green  or  dry  and  soaked;  desirable." — Miss  Coburn. 

Henderson's  Bush.  —  Leaves  glabrous,  dark  green ;  pods 
small;  beans  small,  white;  flowers  appearing  till  frost;  this 
is  a  very  early  variety;  plants  thoroughly  bush,  do  not  run. 
"Beans  small,  flat,  white;  scarcely  tender  after  soaking  over 
night  and  cooking  sixty-five  minutes  ;  tough  skinned  and  of 
poor  flavor." — Miss  Coburn. 

Horticultural  Lima. — Pole;  very  early;  rather  weak  grower; 
leaves  non-glabrous;  rugose;  pods  medium  to  large;  beans 
pink.  "Beans  small,  reddish  brown,  turning  dark  when  cooked; 
small  rounded;  pulp  granular,  not  very  pleasant ;  scarcely  tender 
after  120  minutes'  cooking." — Miss  Coburn. 

Jackson's  Wonder  Bush. — Leaves  dark  green,  smooth, 
somewhat  glabrous;  pods  narrow,  elongated;  type  of  Hender- 
son's; prolific.  "Bean  medium  flat,  brown,  spotted;  tough 
skin;  mealy,  well  flavored;  pulp  required  ninety  minutes  to 
cook  tender. " — Miss' Coburn. 


320 

New  Wonder.  —  Leaves  dark 
late,  does  not  set  well; 
unproductive;  pods  scimitar 
shaped.  "Bean  large,  flat; 
thin  skin;  good  flavor; 
cooked  tender  in  twenty-five 
minutes  when  green,  or  in 
fifty  minutes  after  soaking 
over  night  when  dry;  desira- 
ble.'1— Miss  Coburn. 

Salem  Improved  Lima. — 
Leaves  large,  light  green; 
plant  vigorous;  pods  two  and 
one-half  to  four  inches  long, 
curved  ;  late.  "Bean  large, 
flat,  green,  well  rounded; 
good  flavor;  cooked  tender 
in  forty  minutes;  desirable." 
— Miss  Coburn. 


moderate    grower: 


FIG.  6. 
HORTICULTURAL  LIMA. 


Selected  Large  White. — Medium  sized  leaf;  light  green;  non- 
glabrous;  fairly  vigorous;  (seed  poor);  pod  large,  broad.  "Bean 
very  large,  flat,  greenish  white;  tender,  but  does  not  break  in 
pieces;  sweet  and  well  flavored;  cooked  tender  in  sixty  minutes 
Avhen  green;  in  forty-five  minutes  when  dry  and  soaked.1' — 
Miss  Coburn. 

Selected  Long  White.  —  Leaves  dark  green;  smooth  or 
nearly  so;  intermediate  in  size;  pods  nearly  straight,  do  not  fill 
well;  late. 

Shallcross  Market  Queen. — Foliage  light  green;  pods  large, 
nearly  straight;  late;  rather  light  bearer.  "Bean  medium  size, 
rather  thick;  greenish  white;  tender  and  of  good  flavor;  cooked 
soft  in  forty  minutes;  desirable." — Miss  Coburn. 

Shotwell  Improved. — Leaves  large,  light  green;  intermediate; 
very  vigorous  grower;  pods  large,  husk  thin,  well  filled;  mid- 
season  or  late.  "Bean  medium  size,  very  thick,  greenish  white; 
cooked  tender  in  forty  minutes  when  green;  in  sixty-five  min- 
utes when  dry  and  soaked;  desirable.11 — Miss  Coburn. 

Sieberfs  Lima.  —  Pole;  leaves  medium,  shiny  or  nearly 
intermediate;  fair  grower;  pods  large,  curved.     "Bean  large, 


321 


thick,  greenish;  good  flavor 
desirable. " — Miss  Co'burn. 


cooked  tender  in   sixty  minutes; 

Thorbum's  Dwarf.  —  Plant 
light  green;  leaf  non- glabrous, 
white  below;  a  very  slight  ten- 
dency to  run;  pods  short,  two 
to  three  inches  long,  two  to 
three  beans  in  a  pod;  flowering 
period  continues  till  frost. 
"Bean  medium  size,  thick;  good 
flavor;  cooked  tender  in  forty 
minutes  when  green;  desirable.1' 
— Miss  Coburn. 

Willow  Leaf. — Leaves  lance- 
olete,  willow  like,  dark  green; 
pods  small,  narrow.  "Bean 
small,  flat,  white;  hard  little 
pulp;  cooked  tender  in  forty- 
five  minutes;  poor  flavor;  not 
desirable." — Miss  Coburn. 

Culture — The  culture  of  Lima  Beans  is  essentially  that  of 
ordinary  beans,  except  that  they  cannot  be  sown  quite  so  early. 
Attention  must  be  paid  to  this  point,  as,  if  checked  or  stunted 
by  cold  or  wet  weather  in  the  fore  part  of  the  season  the  suc- 
ceeding growth  is  rarely  satisfactory.  Choose  then  a  friable 
soil  in  a  protected  situation  and.  plant  when  the  ground  has 
become  thoroughly  warmed  and  the  weather  well  settled.  The 
dwarfs  may  be  considered  safer  for  short  and  cold  seasons  than 
the  pole  varieties.  The  latter  are  larger  growing,  are  more  sus- 
ceptible to  cold  and  require  a  longer  season  to  mature. 

The  dwarf  varieties  may  be  treated  like  bush  beans,  sowing 
them  about  two  inches  deep  in  rows  three  feet  apart.  The  pole 
varieties  may  be  planted  four  or  five  beans  in  hills  three  to  four 
feet  apart  or  in  continuous  rows,  though  in  the  latter  case  the 
labor  of  "poling  "  is  increased. 


FIG.  7. 

THOR.    DWARF  LIMA, 

Rather  late. 


V. 


SWEET    POTATOES. 


The  growing  of  sweet  potatoes  in  the  south  east  part  of  this 
state  is  an  important  industry.  The  island  of  Muscatine  in  the 
Mississippi  River  is  largely  given  up  to  the  cultivation  of  sweet 
potatoes  and  melons.     The  sweet  potato,  although  essentially  a 


322 

southern  staple,  demands  attention  from  experiment  station 
workers.  Preliminary  tests  were  made  last  season  with  a  view 
of  ascertaining  what  varieties  might  be  cultivated  in  this  latitude 
with  some  degree  of  profit  and  satisfaction.  The  kinds  noted 
below  were  tested.  In  fchis  connection  it  is  proper  to  say  that 
the  Department  is  indebted  to  Theo.  Williams,  Benson,  Nebr. 
for  the  entire  collection.  Mr.  Williams  not  only  makes  a 
business  of  growing  sweet  potatoes  but  is  keenly  interested  in 
testing  and  studying  variety  characteristics.  In  this  experi- 
ment the  tubers  were  sprouted  in  hot  bed  where  they  were 
placed  about  May  first.  In  the  table  the  varieties  are  arranged 
in  order  of  yield  beginning  with  the  largest  producer  of  No.  1 
tubers.  In  the  variety  notes  which  follow  the  table,  are  given 
valuable  date,  again  collected  by  Miss  Coburn  while  studying 
the  table  merits  of  the  different  kinds.  These  notes  are  well 
worth  studying.  The  soil  on  which  the  crop  was  grown  was 
not  rich,  having  previously  grown  nursery  stock,  was  not 
manured,  but  thoroughly  prepared.  Before  planting,  the  sur- 
face was  ridged  and  the  plants  set  in  the  usual  way,  on  June 
first  and  second,  fifty  plants  of  each  kind  composing  the  test. 


VARIETY 


Florida 

Benson 

Red  Jersey 

Yellow  and  Red  Bermuda 

Nigger  Choker 

Early  Carolina 

Southern  Queen      

Yellow  Sugar 

Yellow  Jersey 

Big  Stem  Jersey 

Vineless 

Bronze  Yellow  (Yellow  Spanish) 
Yellow  Nansemond     


WEIGHT — POUNDS 


NO.    ONE  NO.    TWO 


79 

66.5 
53.5 
44.5 
40 
38 
32 
28 

14.5 
14 

11.5 
8.5 


9.5 
15 
35 

8 

28 
42 
16 

28.5 
41.5 
40.5 
10 

36.5 
29 


TOTAL 

YIELD    IN 

LBS. 


88.5 

81.5 

88.5 

52.5 

68 

80 

48 

56.5 

56 

54.5 

21.5 

45 

32 


NOTES   ON    VAKIETY   CHARACTERISTICS. 

Benson. — (Originated  with  Theo.  Williams,  Benson,  Nebr.) 
Leaves  like  Southern  Queen;  tubers  large,  white,  yam  type; 
smooth.  Very  few  small  potatoes ;  this  is  a  promising 
variety  the  quality  being  good.  u  Skin  brownish  yellow,  very 
sniooth.  *  Flesh  light  yellow,  firm,  fairly  dry,  very  sweet." 
— Miss  Coburn. 

*Oooked  by  steaming  until  soft  enough  to  be  easily  pierced  with  a  fork,  then 
baking  until  slightly  browned. 


323 


Big  Stem  Jersey. — Foliage  like  Yellow  Jersey.  Tubers  of 
Yellow  Nansemond  type,  rather  shorter  and  somewhat  better 
developed.  "Skin  brownish  yellow,  very  smooth;  flesh  green- 
ish yellow,  very  wet,  slightly  stringy,  sweet." — Miss  Coburn. 

Bronze  or  Yellow  Spanish. — 
Leaf  stems  purple;  tubers  mere 
thickened  roots  as  a  rule;  un- 
marketable for  the  most  part. 
Skin  russet,  thin,  fairly  smooth, 
flesh  grayish,  firm  grained,  firm, 
only  slightly  wet;  sweet  and 
pleasant  to  taste;  quality  good." 
A  sprout  from  black  Spanish. 
— Miss  Coburn. 

Early  Carolina.  —  Strong 
grower;  tubers  pure  yellow, 
short  and  plump,  well  devel- 
oped, and  with  few  side  shoots. 
Skin  brownish  yellow,  thin, 
smooth.  "Flesh  yellow,  slightly 
wet  and  stringy,  only  slightly 
sweet,  not  very  agreeable." 
—Miss  Coburn.  "A  North 
Carolina  sort,  one  of  the  best  for 
north.  "■ — Williams. 

Florida  (Providence,  Bunch 
Vineless.) — Practically  vineless;  tubers  large,  yellowish  white, 
a  few  small  rooty  specimens;  majority  large,  fairly  smooth; 
apparently  not  a  heavy  yielder,  but  really  the  most  productive 
of  the  collection.  "Skin  brownish  gray;  tuber  large  and  thick; 
flesh  light  greenish  yellow,  coarse,  but  rather  dry,  and  very 
sweet. " — Miss  Coburn.  "Best  in  quality  of  all  sweets  to  boil, 
needs  highland  or  sand." — Williams. 

Nigger  Choker  (Black  Spanish). — Weak  grower;  long  pur- 
ple leaf  stems;  tubers  large,  dark  and  irregular  in  form;  many 
roots.  "Skin  dark  red;  tuber  very  long;  flesh  almost  white, 
fine  grained,  wet;  very  sweet,  pleasant  flavor. " — Miss  Coburn. 
Productive  only  on  rich  moist  soil;  tubers  require  more  heat  to 
germinate  them  than  other  kinds." — Williams. 

Bed  Jersey. — Weak  grower;  tubers  regular  in  shape,  smooth, 
pinkish  red,  short  and  plump.  "Skin  red,  smooth;  flesh  green- 
ish yellow,  sweet,  almost  mealy,  good," — Miss  Coburn.     "Of 


FIG.    8. 

BENSON. 

Reduced    three-quarters. 

commercial  purposes  at  the 
General   Grant,    Ely, 


Yam, 


324 


best   quality  and  shape  even  on  land  too  rich  for  the  Yellow 
Jersey." — Williams. 

Southern  Queen. — Medium  runner,  leaves  large;  dense  mat 
of  foliage;  tubers  type  of  Benson,  large,  fairly  smooth,  inclined 
to  run  to  roots.     "Skin, greenish  brown,  rough;  flesh  yellow, 

very  wet,  coarse;  not  very  sweet  nor 
pleasant.'' — Miss  Coburn.  "Very 
popular  in  the  South." — Williams. 

Vineless. — Grows  in  hills,  quite 
upright;  tubers  yellowish  white, 
small,  light  cropper.  "Skin  white; 
meat  creamy  white,  slightly  wet, 
sweet  and  good. " — Miss  Coburn.  "A 
sport  of  a  late  type  of  Southern  Yel- 
low Yam  and  worthless  at  the  north. " 
— Williams. 

Yellow  and  Bed  Bermuda. — 
Large  leaved,  upright  grower;  tubers 
mostly  red,  medium  large,  very  irreg- 
ular as  to  form,  long,  rather  warty; 
light  yield;  late;  yam  type.  Yellow 
Bermuda;  long,  irregular,  unattract- 
ive in  shape;  skin  brownish  yellow. 
"Flesh  yellow,  wet,  coarse,  not  very 

sweet  nor  good.     Red  Bermuda;  skin  greenish  brown,  rough; 

flesh  yellow,    very  wet,  coarse;  not  very  sweet  nor  pleasant." 

— Miss   Coburn.     "The  most  worthless  of   sweet   potatoes." — 

Williams. 

Yellow  Jersey. — Regular  type;  tubers  small,  smooth;  early; 
not  quite  as  large  as  Early  Carolina;  throws  out  a  good  many 
sprouts;  not  equal  to  Red  Jersey  or  Early  Carolina;  skin  light, 
yellow,  thin,  smooth;  flesh  pale  yellow,  wet,  stringy,  fairly 
sweet. 

Yellow  Nansemond. — Vigorous  grower  ;  healthy  ;  tubers 
rooty;  very  slightly  developed;  very  much  elongated.  "Skin 
light  brown,  slightly  rough;  flesh  light  greenish  yellow,  not 
fibrous  or  wet,  but  not  mealy  nor  very  sweet." — Miss  Coburn. 
"A  name  formerly    applied   to    yellow    sweet  potatoes   when 


FIG  9. 
RED  JERSEY. 

Reduced  three-quarters. 


325 


Nansemond  Company  held  the  commericial  palm  for  quality." 
— Williams. 

Yellow  or  Sugar  Yam.  — Leaves 
finely  cut;  vigorous  grower;  tubers 
white;  variable  in  size  and  form, 
many  small  ones.  "Skin  brownish 
yellow,  rather  rough  ;  flesh  very 
wet,  coarse,  sweet;  not  desirable," 
—Miss  Coburn.  "This  is  of  the 
type  that  all  southerners  prefer 
for  table  use." — Williams. 

BRIEF    CULTURAL    DIRECTIONS. 


The  sweet  potatoes  belong  to  the 
Morning  Glory  (Ipomoea)  family. 
It  is  a  native  of  the  south  and 
therefore  requires  considerable 
warmth  to  bring  it  to  successful 
maturity. 


FIG.  10 
YELLOW  CAROLINA. 
Reduced  three-quarters. 


sandy  soil  is  most  favorable — one 
having  a  large  percentage  of  vegeta- 
ble matter  preferred.  Cold  clays  or 
heavy,  imperfectly  drained  soils  are 
entirely  unsuitable. 

Preparation. — The  soil  should  be 
very  thoroughly  pulverized  to  a 
depth  of  five  or  six  inches.  If  it  is 
naturally  loose  and  friable  a  shallow- 
er stirring  may  be  preferable, 

Propagation.  —  The  commonest 
way  to  grow  sweet  potato  plants  is  to 
prepare  a  hot  bed  in  the  usual  way; 
after  the  first  heated  period  is  over 
the  tubers  are  placed  quite  closely 
together  but  not  touching  upon  the 
soil  covering  the  manure.  They  are 
then  covered  with  three  inches  of  soil,  the  bed  covered  with 
glass  and  watered  as  often  as  necessary.  The  buds  or  shoots 
which  develop  are  removed  and  transplanted  to  the  field  when 
the  ground  is  warm. 

Transplanting. — The  commonest  method  is  to  set  the  plants 
in  ridges,  but  some  growers  prefer  to  set  on  the  level.     It  is 


FIG    11. 

YELLOW  NANSEMOND. 

Reduced  three-quarters. 


326 


probable  that  the  ridge  system  is  the  most  desirable  at  the  north 
and  especially  in  heavy  soil.  The  rows  or  center  of  ridges* 
should  be  about  three  and  one-half  feet  apart  and  the  plants  set 
eighteen  inches  apart  in  the  row. 


FIG.  12. 
Showing  types   of  leaves,     a  Florida;  b  Yellow  Jersey;  C  Red  Jersey. 

Cultivation. — This   should   be  thorough.     Frequent  shallow 
cultivation  will  save  the  soil  moisture  and  often  do  much  towards- 


329 

adding  to  the  yield  of  No.  1  tubers.  The  question  is  often  asked, 
shall  we  allow  the  vines  to  take  root  or  must  they  be  moved 
to  prevent  rooting.  The  concensus  of  opinion  in  the  south  now 
is  that  it  does  not  pay  to  move  the  vines,  except  under  unusual 
circumstances,  as  when  the  soil  is  rich  and  cultivation  is  dis- 
continued  early  in  the  season.     In  our  experiments  this  year 


FIG.   1?. 
Showing  types  of  leaves,     a  Vineless;   b  Benson. 

there  was  no  appreciable  difference  between  rows  in  which  the 
vines  were  undisturbed,  and  those  in  which  the  vines  were 
moved  twice. 

Manuring. — It  is  probable  that  potash  is  one  of  the  most 
important  fertilizers  for  sweet  potatoes.  In  New  Jersey,  horse 
manure,  at  the  rate  of  from  ten  to  twenty  tons  per  acre  is  used. 
It  should  be  well  rotted  before  applying.     Phosphatic  manures 


328 

with  leguminous  or  green  manuring  is  now  being  generally  prac- 
ticed with  good  results. 

Harvesting. — Dig  only  when  ground  is  dry.  Great  care 
should  be  exercised  in  digging  the  crop  in  order  to  save  the 
tubers  without  bruising.  '  The  potatoes  should  be  stored  in  dry, 
cool,  well  ventilated,  frost-proof  cellars  or  storage  rooms. 


VI. 


TOMATO    EXPERIMENTS. 

The  records  from  which  the  following  data  are  compiled  were 
made  by  Mr.  E.  E.  Little  who  faithfully  carried  out  the  details 
of  the  various  experiments  entrusted  to  his  care. 

The  objects  of  the  experiments  were  to  ascertain,  (a)  the 
adaptability  of  the  leading  varieties  as  determined  by  vigor  of 
plant  and  yield  of  fruit,  to  this  locality;  (6)  to  study  the  effect 


FIG.   14. 

BEST   OF   ALL. 

Made  a  remarkably  good  showing  last  year. 

of  different  methods  of  training  upon  thu  yield;  and  (c)  to  learn 
something  of  the  relative  solidity  and  texture  of  some  of  the 
leading  commercial  varieties. 

The  seed  was  sown  in  flats  in  the  greenhouse,  between  March 
24  and  April  5,  and  the  plants  were  pricked  off  into  two  and 
one-half  pots,  between  April  14,  and  April  22,  and  were  finally 
transplanted  to  the  field  on  May  26.     Ten  plants  of  each  kind 


329 


were  set  out.  The  soil  was  a  well  worked,  sandy  loam,  which 
had  previously  grown  nursery  stock.  It  was  in  good  physical 
condition  but  could  not  be  said  to  be  in  a  high  state  of  fertility. 
The  fore  part  of  the  season  was  wet,  interfering  somewhat  with 
cultivation  while  the  latter  part  was  excessively  dry. 


FK3.  15. 

DWARF  CHAMPION. 

A  good  type  of  early  Tomato. 

Table  I  shows  the  relative  productiveness  of  early  and 
mid-season  varieties.  The  records  show  that  Early  Ruby  gave 
the  largest  yield  for  the  first  and  second  picking  periods  from 
August  5  to  September  8.  The  amount  of  rotten  fruit  was 
fairly  proportionate  to  the  yield.  Perfection  and  Ignotum 
stand  high  in  point  of  yield  in  the  first  period  while  both  fall  to 
tenth  place  or  lower  in  the  second  or  mid-season  period. 


'HNt-CWIM^INfflm^H^t-lOr-iOOHWlClOCOOOOOOOCD 
(NCO(NHthH(N(M         CM  i-H  <N  i— i        i— IffirHHr- ii— I  CO  t— In- inHN 


^OCOWOIN^^O^^OHOCIMih  i— I  C5  C5  iO  CO  rH  CM  CO 


.     CO 

«§" 

b  «  fl 

C3    Sh    CD 

HPhS 


pp   • 

— -  o 

^^ 

I~h    <& 


cd  a> 


o 

9 

% 

^g 

^^ 

SO 


C3   O 

o 


Ph~ 


rS§*3 


+2   >  j^   B 


be  m  i 

?-*     P,^     £       . 

PQ  d  »  S  ,5 
^  »— i  o*3  "d 
o  _  .-ero  s 


Ph 

SH 

Cr  <v  o 

si- 

o  S  o 

OP""!Ph 


&    Eh 


;  CD  i-h  C-  lO  CM        CDCOCD  OS(N(N'lOIOX  ^-*X  OINi-iCO 


'OHQOH-^^HINTt*  HiCO^r- 1  i— i         CO  i— I  i— I  i— I  CO  i— I  i— I         i-H 


|  CO  rH  (N  CM  i-h  QO         CTi^         LO^COCMCMOOSCTS        CM  O  LO  CM  Ci  00  00 


CM  i-H  1— I 


oo5co^t-©»omTt(^^coa:««(X'WN(NN(Ni-iH 


< 
CD 
Oh 

Pi 


P  o 


85*1 


Ph  Ph 


CD    CO 


p-    O 


OS     CD 

HPh 


o  cp 

HH| 

^S  Pl,  fe  P  S  ^  <!  £ 


£2  +^     CD 

§Dr*    S   O 


o  o 

CD    H 


os    O  "£  _0>  ^p  I— i 


OS     fe- 

CD  jj 

PQQ 


JH    |    , 

sa  co! 
.    *> 

M   P 

8S 


"8  8 


c 

Ph 

p-,.  o 

9    CD   o. 


Ph 

J* 

CD  2 

CD      >-rH 

^p;S 

C3    !h    0<^    P    CD 

Ph  H  Ph  £  ^  Ph 


Eh  p 


°    ,=i 


^*  H  N -*  tH  H  ph  r-i         i— I  CD  ""*  OS  o 


-1    1-1  <M  GNJ  i-l  <N  —         i-Hi-H  -h 


Is  * 

§03 


c3 


do    . 

fe!   53  ° 

O  ."S    03    £  -j. 


.  o 

•  2 

•  c. 

■-a 
:o 

:1 
:  £ 

.  03 


•  -0    __, 


X' 


fcO 


>  o 


£  ? 


o  £ 

03 


£££££££  «3 


o  <v 


O   i—l  r-l 


<M  ,— i        ,— i<M 


o   !>•  i-l  CO  i-h  00  o 


X 


si 
J  ,3 


o 


£To3  £ 

"->     S  ^-    03 


o    . 

02 

§  I 


*  o 

O  -h-> 
S    Oh 

02  45 
02  ^ 
D    02 

0\0 


02    O 


m  03 
p 

03    O 


r^r-- 


pq 


03 

■T3 

F9 

O 
OQ 

C. 

+3 

n 

pC 

O. 

fe 

_  j™ 

d 

03 

nc 

>. 

at 

03  _Q 

cd 

d 
eg 

2-2  ^  2 

£,«+-<  o  © 

3    fll     ©     g 


CQ^h-,   03 

W  02  o  _  h 


pq, 


c. 


^3 


r^    o2   2= 


02 


PQiS 


02     *H 


o  o   „,   w 

OQ  ^_3    02 

02  5+_|         -jH 

02  C3 

<-&  ^  o 

O    02    fl    02 
!h     ft  _. 

O.       o  Ki 

_03  -H-"    be 

>^  ^c^ 

•  rH      C.      (-1   T> 

02 .52  +^  _a 

^     OQ     Jh     ^ 

^3  o  o  o 

C3     05  -0 


c 

rO 

o 

r; 

O 

»2 

=: 

q 

o 

J3 

— J 

71 

Fh 

H 

OQ 

Ph 

PI 
n 

,o 

|p«. 

_a 

Q 

EJ 

^^o 

0  OS 

Eh  <j 

i  « 

«  0 


3  00  O  t- 


§cococ5 


§& 

C0L-C<J 

l>«0  0 

1-1 ...  Tjl 

w  o 


2-6*1 

00      (H.rt 

03    C_    fn 

fflHQ 


-*CN  ^H 

^  H 

W  K 

H   P 

H   « 

O  fe 

P5 

HOC  OS 

IS 

03^    03 

2  M  > 

3    03    C. 


^  (NHXOOt-CTOlOMlM        ao^^OaOQOOOfMOOTrCOQO^CCO  —  t-        E-  «#  CO        iO>  CO 

i— I  r-H  t— inHHr- 1  iH  «— '  rH  —  r- 1  t— li— li— li— 1»— I 

CO«D«OWlO-*cq'NiNCq^W^-JOOtt0505QOOCOOOCOt't-©COCOiOM^HOC^O 


CO        CO(N(MOiMIO'*QQOX(NOOO*;(M^iO-*t(iiOHIOCO-*(MO        1— IJO  <-"  "^        O  t- 


HHMT)iH-*HQO^«OiOO(NOCD©M-OOG3-*at-COOOCOOOlOHCOOCOt>COH 
CMrHCMCOTtiT^COCNCOCOrHr^cqcOCN<^COCOCOCOr^<rcCOCNlC<l<MCOC^ 


t-CO^<MCOCOOGOCOOt>-OCOOOCMrH(>iiOiOaOTtiL--(Mt-^JCOCOCO        C5  t>QO  lO  CO  H  OH 


(MHOCDt-(NQOt'COLOm'MX'*OOOLOOOOCDLO^CO-lOOOOOCDiO'*(MXCD05CO 
OCiOiCCOOOOCOCOCOCOCOCOiOLOLO^^^^TflCOcoCOCOCOCOOQCO^H'—  C.  0500  1- CO"* 


3  _ 
Ph.P 


CQ 
cd 'a;  aj  g  o  o 


8  &»£ 

oo  5»*n.l_» 


o 


.P   Sh 

'  °  £ 


I 

.P 
;0 


p 

03 


•a  s 

rrtM 


Ph  Ph 

II 


03    c3 


SI-SSB-Si? 


tj   P   3 

3    «»r 

.,  ,   >   O  +j  .,  ,   o 


O    O    03 


P    XO    c*    03    o    P 


O-P 


^2^   & 


CQ  fin  ft  £  W  K  fe  £  Cm  W  Oh  £  Ph  M  ^  S  O  S  fl  H  hQ  Ph  ^P  hS  <1  OQ  Q  Ph  o 


3   «   £   rf ' 


T3  cd'P  P 
o3 


CM  <M  Ol  ©    tH  *  00  00  CM  CO  00    ^OOCOfM-^H^^tMi— IOOC-1-^H    OC3    OOO 


CM  —  lOCMt^^COt-lOGO'*^C<ll-~-COt--LOLOCOcMt-OOOCOCO'*CO^COCO^   rH    rH 


CM  CM        00(M        OOCMCO        OlM  O  tH  X -n<  ■*  (NM        -^CMOOcMcMOClOOOOTtfOOTH 


lOC0  01QCO^WOCDU5HieC(?1'NOOO»»t'iOiniOlOlOCOMM^'*(N005'^Tj(OH 
COCOCOLOuOOLOLO^TtfTfl^^^TtiCOCOCOCOCOroCOCcroCOCOCOOTC^ 


^8: 


OB      >H    -4-J 

Sim  £ 


c3 


c 

■  "-■=  ffi  g 


o  S 

p^o 


I 

^    O    03 


-S  S  S  Ir  1 


03  02 
03  02 
Q,  03 


as* 


airs  :cr-al^-8flfl  ;ii^'piffi  jiqo^  ; 


c6 

> 

P 

m^ 


S-g.3 


En  £  CC.  £  H  5  £  H  m  O  fl  <1  Pl,  CQ  ^ 


o  d  ^is^  4)  o  x  n"i  p!  S  f  O-H 


3?3 


METHODS    OF    TRAINING    VINES. 

It  may  be  best  to  preface  this  paragraph  with  the  statement 
that  probably  commercial  growers  in  this  state  can  not  afford 
to  spend  time  and  labor  in  training  vines  after  special  fashions, 
&nd  that  the  methods  described  belong  essentially  to  the  field  of 
the  amateur  except  when  the  season  is  short,  or  conditions  of 
growth  unfavorable. 

There  are  principally  two  questions  involved  in  methods  of 
training,  (a)  as  affecting  productiveness,  and  (6)  as  affecting  dis- 
ease. Two  vines  of  each  variety  in  the  subjoined  table  com- 
posed the  test.  The  fruit,  sound  and  decayed,  was  carefully 
picked  and  weighed  throughout  the  season  at  the  same  time  that 
pickings  were  made  in  the  general  test. 


FIG.    16. 

ATLANTIC  PRIZE. 

Early,  but  rough,  cavities  numerous  and  large. 

Untrained.  Plants  allowed  to  grow  naturally.  Staked.  Plants 
trained  to  a  four-foot  stake,  usually  two  vines  each  case. 
Hilled.  A  good  sized  mound  of  earth  drawn  up  about  the  base  of 
each  plant  when  the  fruit  began  to  set.  Mulched.  A  covering 
of  them,  or  four  inches  of  strawy  manure  spread  under  the 
vines  as  the  fruit  began  to  set. 


H 

o 

- 

o 

W 

H 


pq 


Q     CJ    02 

113 

H 

kCO    £ 

a 


CO 


O    $   Q 

5% 

o  b  z 

H   PS  H 
02   be  fe 


Q     3    02 

8-3  * 

S.2S 

S2fe 

£    02    ^ 

Pc   3  W 
be 

.      3 


EH 

fc> 

as 

fc 

_ 

S5 

Ed 

H 

H 

C 

>< 

M 

< 

E-i 

H 

& 

B3 

fe 

Q 

fc 

P 

O 

H   p 

3  fe 


H     M 
H     P 


^lOCMCM^COCMrtiCOlOr^CMCOOrHU^LO^COHiCNlt-COH^t^ 


Q»— I  — '  rH  rH  1— I    I— I  T— I    I— If— I  T— I 


«IOMNCOO?HO-'©00-*««MOOOCS1CCOMCOH05 
~CO^CO^COCOCMt^C<]COCOCOC<1HHCOHHi— I  <— •  i-1  CM  CO  CM  "<J1  CO 


nO^XMM        CO<MC5LOQO"<HCOO        CM  CM        Tht>cMfl5        CM 

OH  rH  i—l  i—l  r— I  i— I  i-H  i— t  rH 


■NXXClN00'*^NTt(OXt*O^C1'*tiNM0500        CO  CM 


X^i-cD^COoCt-CiXfOOXOtOQCO^TtlLOCOt-OO 


^^CMCMCOCO  —  CO^HCO        H  lO  CI        C0rHCMC0C0rH'<HCMCMU0 


N  "O         rJiOt-COO        iQW-iCDtNMnO«NMHOiLOMO 
O  i-i  rH  1— I  r-t  r-i  H  rH  nH  1-11H 


'i  (M  CO  (M  N  r- 1  C-i  n  CO  r- i(M(MClr- 1  CO  i— i  CM  i-i  r- 1         ri  (N  iH  (M  LO 


i-i        OCOM        CO  CO  LO  CO        CO 


i-H  i—  CM  rH  rH 


<N        COt-lO        LO-*COH        rri 


CM  OM  CM  —  CO 


<D   O   3  S  a>  o 


<v 


3 


0 

«4-i     O 

5-1  -rH 

eg    Pn 

S 

£  s 

o 

O   c$ 

.-3 

a> 

ftO 

HH 

a; 

i-H 

Ph 

335 
CONSOLIDATED  SUMMARY   OF    RESULTS  OF    METHODS   OF   TRAINING. 

VINES,    HOW    TREATED.  'YIELD    S°UND     YIELD    R0TTEN      PER  CENT  K0T" 

FRUIT.  FRUIT.  TEN. 

Untrained 157  lb.  14  oz.  34  lb.  7  oz.  20 

Staked 197  "  5  "  15  "     7  "  7.9 

Hilled 184"  10  "  20  •'  14  "  10.8 

Mulched 253"  14  "  44"     4  "  17.5 

This  summary  shows  that  (a)  the  smallest  yield  was  given  by 
the  untrained  vines;  and  that  (6)  the  percentage  of  rotten  fruit 
on  these  was  greater  than  in  any  other  case:  that  (c)  staked  vines 
gave  a  larger  percentage  of  sound  fruit  than  untrained  and  (d) 
showed  the  smallest  percentage  of  decayed  fruit  in  the  experi- 
ment; (e)  hilling  did  not  give  any  striking  results;  (/)  mulching 


FIG.    17. 
TERRA  COTTA. 

Seed  cavities  numerous,  but  well  filled. 


greatly  increased  the  productiveness  and  (g)  also  the  tendency 
to  rot.  These  are  the  results  obtained  during  a  year  of  unusually 
large  precipitation  during  June,  and  marked  by  light  rainfall  in 
August  and  September. 


RELATIVE    SOLIDITY    OF    FRUIT. 

The  solidity  and  firmness  of  flesh  are  important  characteris- 
tics of  the  tomato  and  have  a  special  bearing  upon  their  value 


3^6 

as  keepers  and  shippers.  A  simple  test  was  made  to  ascertain 
the  relative  weight  of  the  fruit  when  compared  with  an  equal 
volume  of  water.  This  test  can  not  be  accepted  as  giving  relia- 
ble data  upon  the  relative  size  of  seed  cavaties  because  the 
specific  gravity  of  the  <flesh  of  different  varities  might  vary 
appreciably  apart  from  the  size  of  the  seed  cavity.  By  weigh- 
ing an  average  fruit,  then  immersing  it  in  an  known  quanity  of 
water,  and  noting  the  amount  of  water  displaced,  a  ratio  of 
solidity  as  compared  to  water  was  obtained.  A  sufficient  num- 
ber of  normal  fruits  was  taken  in  each  case  to  make  the  test  sat- 
isfactorily reliable.     According  to  this  test  Terra  Cotta  takes 


FIG.    18 
EVERBEARING. 
A  type  showing  large  seed  cavities      Reduced  one-half 

first  place  of  those  tested  being  equal  in  weight  to  an  equal  vol- 
ume of  water.  This  indicates  small  seed  cavities  and  firm  flesh. 
There  is  a  difference  of  twenty-six  grams  between  Terra  Cotta 
and  New  Jersey,  meaning  that  New  Jersey  was  twenty-six  grams 
lighter  than  the  volume  of  water  which  it  displaced  and  thereby 
suggesting  large  seed  cavities.  Large  seed  cavities,  or  lack  of 
solidity,  would  seem  to  be  corollated  with  susceptibility  to  rot,  as 
New  Jersey,  a  light  tomato,  rotted  to  the  extent  of  twenty -seven 
per  cent,  while  Terra  Cotta  and  Lorillard,  both  heavy  varities, 
were  affected  to  the  extent  of  only  five  and  fourteen  per  cent 
respectively.  The  study  is  interesting  as  indicating  desirable 
lines  of  improvement  in  tomatoes.  The  following  table  shows 
the  varieties  tested  and  the  results  secured. 

W eight  of  fruit  as  compared  with  weight  of  same  volume  of 


33 


water.     To  ascertain  the  variation  in  size  of  cavities.     Average 
sized  tomatoes  used. 

VAIUETY            x  ^™ 
GRAMS 

Terra  Cotta 235 

Lorillard '267 

White's  Matchless 407 

Golden  Champion 448 

Mikado 403 

Excelsior 465 

Early  Ruby 420 

Buckeye  State 468 

Best  of  All 462 

Honor  Bright , 342 

Favorite 322 

Improved  Trophy 339 

New  Jersey 339 


fATEB  DISPLACED 

GRAMS 

235 

0 

270 

3 

415 

8 

460 

12 

415 

12 

480 

15 

435 

15 

485 

17 

480 

18 

360 

18 

340 

18 

360 

21 

365 

26 

